Low Amine Foods & Recipes for an Amine-Free Life

It’s been about two years now since I started building this Low Amine Recipes blog. It has helped a great number of you, and been an inspiration for me in the kitchen, and a driving force behind my exploratory cooking. You may have noticed, however, that in the last several months, I haven’t posted very much. Part of it is because I am unemployed and can’t afford to waste any food on failed attempts, rare though total straight-to-garbage-bin flops may be. Finances have been rough. I’m still loving life, but it’s certainly more lean around these parts.

The other reason I haven’t been posting as much is because I have been able to eat more amines lately. I have been getting away with nectarines, cherries, cauliflower, kale, unprocessed apple cider vinegar, and all other kinds of high amine goodies. I can even have the infrequent tomato, if it’s organic, non-gmo, and fresh, which is stunning, as it was previously my Kryptonite.

Processed foods, food dyes (especially Yellow #5 (Tartazine)), preservatives, canned, aged, and otherwise old foods still do me much harm. However, high amine fresh produce is becoming more and more tolerable. I have even been able to throw in small amounts of raw walnuts and almonds to up my magnesium intake.

My symptoms have reduced… BY ALMOST THREE QUARTERS.

So… How did I do it?

Though I didn’t take my own following advice, please consult your doctor first. Know you are taking your health into your own hands. I am not liable for your actions or your results. My actions may not be what your body chemistry needs. But then again, it may be. I do not feel right keeping what I know about my own success from you.

I don’t know why my symptoms have so drastically reduced. I only know the changes I’ve made that caused it. This is what I will be sharing with you today.

“BODY RESET”
Firstly, I was on a strict low amine diet for over a year. I remember reading somewhere that if you’re on a super strict low amine diet, sometimes the body “resets.” I don’t think my body did this. I did occasionally break down and have the giant plate of evil (often a big bowl of pasta), knowing that by the time I was done eating it, I wouldn’t be able to stand up to put my own dish away. No walking for three days was my penance. But I still did it now and again.

ORGANIC, NON-GMO, WHOLE FOODS
Though I was originally a skeptic, I switched to non-GMO, organic foods as much as possible, and noticed a significant change with that. I realize there aren’t studies to prove GMO is damaging, or that organic is better, or… whatever. But what I do know is that my body reacts better to organic, non-GMO foods. I do not experience as many amine allergies or other bodily breakdowns. Additionally, I removed 99% of processed foods. The only processed things that remain are tamari (yes, I can get away with that now), rice/quinoa pasta, and gluten-free bread.

GLUTEN
I do my best to keep gluten minimized in my diet. When I eat more of it, I notice my allergies are worse. When I did my elimination diet, I was diagnosed as “gluten intolerant,” however, I didn’t think much of it until I realized that by eating it, it made my other allergies worse. Just a heads up…

APPLE CIDER VINEGAR
I have been nixing using tums or calcium for my heartburn. Also, a few times a week, I have been drinking a couple tablespoons of ACV. ACV helps to alkalize the body. I was extremely hesitant to start using this, as I know the consequences for vinegar are harsh in the amine world. It seems to agree with me, though, so long as I use it sparingly, and only use the raw, unfiltered ACV brands. It is said that over time, ACV helps to repair the digestive tract.

PYROLURIA
The biggest changes I saw were when I did research into the link between Pyroluria and Amine Allergies. Do your own research on this – there is a very helpful closed group on Facebook called “Pyroluria.” I suggest you join and read through the documents on the site. Extremely useful information. This is not to say you have Pyroluria (and no, I still have not been tested for this – I can’t seem to dredge up the funds for a test), but there were too many commonalities for me to ignore it.

VITAMINS
I recently started dating a wonderful man who I have decided I’m going to love and squeeze into little bits forever. His knowledge in nutrition led me to start trying new supplements and replacing others with better ones. As it turns out, there is a major difference between “regular” (over-the-counter, generic, Costco-type) vitamins, and vitamins that are formulated to make your body recognize the vitamins as food. This is very important to remember when you’re buying vitamins. Price isn’t everything; Effectiveness IS.

The vitamins I now take that I have noticed the greatest benefits to my amine allergy reduction are:

Coenzyme B-Complex Caps, 3 per day
With methylfolate
(Country Life)

B-12 Energy Patch, 1x/week or longer, left on until it falls off
1000mcg of Active Vitamin B-12 & 400 mac of Folic Acid
(Healthy Habits)

Activated C Food Complex, 3 per day(New Chapter)

Calcium Magnesium Zinc, 3 per day
1000 mg: 500mg: 25mg
(Country Life)

Super Epa (Fish Oil), 2 per day
(Thorne Research)

Every Woman’s One Daily, 1 per day
(New Chapter Organics)

Vitamin D3, 2 per day
2000 IU
(PCC Natural Markets)

Iodoral (SEE NOTES…*)
50 mg

Selenium (L-Selenomethionine), 1 per day when Iodoral is taken
100 mcg
(Solaray)

Other vitamins I take for other reasons that may/may not help the allergy but help me overall:

Sun Chlorella A, 15 tablets per day

Inflamma-Less, 1-2 soft gels per day
(Irwin Naturals)

PB8 (pro-biotic acidophilus), 1 per day(Nutrition Now)

Vegenzyme, 1 before meals
(R-U-Ved)

Rhodiola Rosea, 1 at waking
120 mg
(Gaia Herbs)

Other vitamins I take that I don’t have brands or dosage dialed in yet:

Glucosamine, Chondroitin, MSM

I hope that this information helps you in your journey to reclaim your body. I have come to believe that my amine allergies were a symptom of much greater problems going on. Deficiencies in vitamins, as well as toxic levels of metals, arsenic, etc. I suggest you also look into chelation and into whether doing detox for your liver (I still have not done a proper cleanse, but have been doing my best to add foods that are helpful to successful detox), kidneys, and so forth. Best to you in your low amine journey.

Love and Light,
Michelle

P.S. I know this blog is impossible with the recipes sometimes. Would you be interested in purchasing a book if I put one together? I was thinking about it, but I wanted to know whether the interest is out there…

*NOTE: Iodoral is an iodine complex that I feel did me a great amount of good. There is a specific way you need to take it, though. Starting slow… Do research on Dr. Brownstein and Iodine before starting.

Low Amine Recipes by Michelle Ferris

With a low amine diet, knowing how to cook is essential. Virtually all ingredients in a low amine diet are raw, unprocessed foods.

My first few months of eating low amine foods meant eating boring, boring foods. I didn't know what to do with the ingredients. After many kitchen science experiments, I have come up with low amine recipes that keep me fed and happy while keeping my swollen joints at bay.

Whether you have an amine allergy or intolerance (tyramine, salicylic acid, histamine, or other amines), or are on MAOIs, I hope that these low amine recipes help you eat well and feel good about yourself, your life, and your diet.

I'm here to prove to myself and to you that eating low amine foods can be delicious.